Total newbie, questions about wood stoves and chimneys

[oddodaoddo]

Hello,

I am a total newcomer to the world of wood powered heat, always lived in places that do not require such things (like Florida). We have since moved to Virginia, where we purchased a farm house that has two fireplaces and (obviously) a chimney - I can see what I think are three clay "flues" sticking out of top of it (the house has a basement, a main floor and a second story). I got a hold of an Englander wood stove and since we have woods on the property, it seems like a no brainer to use wood for heat.

I the proceeded to call a certified chimney sweep and he told me that we need to have the chimney lined (without looking at it, I am still waiting for him to come out and do a chimney inspection/cleaning). He quoted about $3,000 to line the chimney and said otherwise venting the stove into the chimney is dangerous.

I don't mind spending money to be safe but before I do so, being a total beginner, what is really necessary to vent the stove through the chimney? Can it be done? Is the chimney sweep correct about what he said? Is it more cost effective for me to just run a regular steel flue through the wall in this case?

Thanks!

 

[begreen]

Most chimneys do need a stainless steel liner to match the stove's flue requirement. There may be additional costs upto and including removal of the tiles if the area is hard to fit a liner into. The quote sounds a bit high. This may be due to it being sight unseen and the sweep trying to ballpark it while covering his bases. The quote should cover cleaning and inspection. I'd get a certified sweep out on location to give you a firm bid. Get a few more written quotes. You can locate sweeps by putting in your zipcode on this site: www.csia.org.

 

[jatoxico]

The sweep is not making up nonsense. It is possible to hook a stove directly to the tile flue but it is not preferred and many times not possible dur to existing flue being over sized.

What you cannot do is place the stove in the opening as is or with a short stub of pipe inserted into the chimney. That's dangerous and the sweep will not (should not) do it. Which Englander do you have? It will show the same in the manual.

 

[oddodaoddo]

The sweep is not making up nonsense. It is possible to hook a stove directly to the tile flue but it is not preferred and many times not possible dur to existing flue being over sized.

What you cannot do is place the stove in the opening as is or with a short stub of pipe inserted into the chimney. That's dangerous and the sweep will not (should not) do it. Which Englander do you have? It will show the same in the manual.

Hello, that's fine - this is why I am here - to learn

I have the 30-NCH.

OK - is it cheaper then to just install a SS flue through the wall and forget about the chimney altogether?

Thanks!

 

[begreen]

Just like a liner, a thru the wall installation needs to be done properly. It may be cheaper, or maybe not. The outside chimney also may not perform as well. Is the brick chimney interior or exterior? How tall is it?

Your best best is to have the chimney inspected by a pro to find out options. This is infrastructure and has to be done safely. Often cheap solutions are just that and either they don't last as long or perform poorly. In some cases they are also quite unsafe.

 

[oddodaoddo]

Just like a liner, a thru the wall installation needs to be done properly. It may be cheaper, or maybe not. The outside chimney also may not perform as well. Is the brick chimney interior or exterior? How tall is it?

Your best best is to have the chimney inspected by a pro to find out options. This is infrastructure and has to be done safely. Often cheap solutions are just that and either they don't last as long or perform poorly. In some cases they are also quite unsafe.

Hello, thanks! I want to be safe, that's #1 (and I want to be within my insurance company's guidelines - which funny enough they said they don't care about the liner). Now, I also don't want to break the bank. If the "through the wall" solution will be as safe as "through the chimney" solution, but 1/2 the price, the answer to me is pretty obvious.

Our chimney is an inside chimney (in the middle of the house). It starts on main floor and extends up to second floor. There is also a separate flue coming from the basement.

Thanks!

 

[jatoxico]

Yes to what @begreen has said. If you'd rather have the stove in a different place in the house then it may make sense to leave the existing fireplace alone.

On the other hand you will need floor protection and chimney pipe is an expense as well so I would venture a guess that a stainless liner in the existing chimney will be most cost effective unless; they have to break out the old flue tile or make other major modifications to the fireplace.

You're not the first one to be surprised that getting the stove is only about 1/2 the battle ($). Realize it's at least if not more important than the stove itself.

 

[begreen]

Yes, it's hard to tell over the internet what will be your best and most cost effective option. There can be unforeseen issues that drive up cost, like needing an offset to clear a soffit for example Or multiple takeoffs on the old chimney. Can you post a picture of the proposed stove location and the chimney tap location?

After everything is installed one still needs to get a good supply of firewood. The 30-NC is going to need fully seasoned firewood to perform well.

 

[oddodaoddo]

Yes, it's hard to tell over the internet what will be your best and most cost effective option. There can be unforeseen issues that drive up cost, like needing an offset to clear a soffit for example Or multiple takeoffs on the old chimney. Can you post a picture of the proposed stove location and the chimney tap location?

After everything is installed one still needs to get a good supply of firewood. The 30-NC is going to need fully seasoned firewood to perform well.

Hello. Thank you for the words of wisdom! I decided to just go with a professional who knows his stuff and install the SS liner. I feel it is a one time cost to get a lifetime of benefits. My main purpose here was to "verify" whether someone is taking me for a "ride" and it appears they were not. I am getting a couple of quotes from different. certified chimney sweeps and stove installers.

Yes, I realized the thing about the firewood - it appears to be somewhat of an experience/art thing in recognizing good firewood. Live and learn?